


The Good Guys Win

by lil_1337



Series: Dream Team [2]
Category: Tomorrow People (1992)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-15
Updated: 2006-05-17
Packaged: 2017-11-06 21:43:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/423584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terrorists take over an embassy in Geneva and the Tomorrow People are called in to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [ ] denotes telepathy

The sleek bike sped down the deserted country road with the leather-clad rider leaning low over the gas tank. Megabyte twisted the throttle, grinning as the engine’s soft purr morphed into a throaty roar. The bike jerked forward, blowing the posted speed limit a kiss as the needle of his speedometer raced to see how quickly it could be pegged out. The wind rushed past him and for a split second he wished he could pull off his helmet and feel it on his face and in his hair. He eased off a bit, anticipating the curve up ahead. Holding his speed steady, he leaned the bike so his leg was almost touching the ground then goosed the throttle to give the cycle that last bit of a push to throw it around the bend without leaving his lane. Once on the straightaway the bike streaked down the road, flying past a pasture of cows that did not even have time to acknowledge his passing.

This was Megabyte’s favorite ride, one that wound in and out of the hills outside of the town where he was attending the local university. When he needed to get away from everyone and everything he got on his bike and reasserted his claim to this stretch of blacktop. Riding always helped him clear his mind and work through the things that he struggled to deal with in other ways. When going online and kicking covenant ass didn’t help smooth out the rough edges it was time to get on his bike and go. So here he was trying to put some distance between himself and the disturbing thoughts that had lately taken up lodging in his brain.

He slowed and downshifted, checking for traffic as he came up to one of the few roads that intersected his route. Accelerating and shifting back into fifth gear automatically, he checked his shields again, making sure that they were as strong as he could make them. The last thing he wanted to do was risk broadcasting what was bothering him. Adam had the strongest telepathic skills after Kevin and he seemed to be the most adept at picking up on what Megabyte was thinking about. That was part of what Megabyte was struggling with.

Lately, he’d been getting the strangest vibes from Adam. Catching him watching when he thought Megabyte wouldn’t see him. Normally Megabyte would have just shrugged it off, putting it down to Adam being his usual wanna be father figure if it wasn’t for his reaction the one time Megabyte had obviously caught him. Instead of his trademark grin and smart-ass remark, Adam had blushed and looked away. That was what kept going around and around in his head. Adam had acted shy, dropping his eyes almost flirtatiously, and avoided meeting Megabyte's gaze for the rest of the evening. He and Adam had been good friends for a long time and the behavior change was disconcerting to say the least. Especially since Adam treated everyone else exactly the way he always had. It was just Megabyte he seemed to be having trouble dealing with.

Distracted by his thoughts, Megabyte was almost on the gravel strewn section of road before he realized it. It covered the whole expanse of the asphalt, leaving no way to maneuver around what considered one of the biggest roadway hazards for someone on a motorcycle. He braked hard, easing off to allow the wheels to move as he hit the patch dead on. His front tire slipped and he leaned to correct it, causing the back tire to slide dangerously. Megabyte swore and shifted his weight, trying to pull the bike back under his control. For a moment it appeared he had succeeded and then the back tire hit a larger rock and hopped. It came down in the middle of some loose dirt and what little traction he still had disappeared causing the bike to go skidding out of control. Megabyte felt the handlebars jerk to the left, and almost out of his hands, as the bike started to fall. Helpless to stop it, his eyes locked on to the grass-covered bank beside the road and he teleported onto it, leaving the bike to skid, out of control, until it slid to a stop almost dead center on the middle of the center yellow line.

He hit the ground rolling until his forward motion was stopped by the trunk of a large tree, the impact knocking the breath out of him and sending a jolt of pain down his left side. Jumping to his feet, he pulled off his helmet and threw it on the ground. [FUCK] “Fuck Fuck Fuck!” Concerned voices filled his head and he realized that he had been broadcasting his thoughts. Australian, English and American accents mingled together in a strange melting pot of sounds. [I’m fine] he ‘pathed [I just dropped my bike]. He was not surprised when the air around him shimmered briefly as his friends teleported in.

“Are you sure you aren’t hurt?” The concern in Adam’s voice was mirrored on his face. “Your jacket’s torn.”

Megabyte turned his head and twisted his arm at the same time, spotting how the leather was scuffed and torn from shoulder to elbow. “Son of a bitch!” He kicked out at the helmet that was still lying at his feet, sending it bouncing towards the road. A soft hand held his shoulder firmly and he heard Lisa’s voice in his ear. “Adam needs to check you out. Make sure you’re okay.” She tugged on the jacket, pulling it off of him before Megabyte could stop her. He turned his head, willing himself not to look at Adam. Not wanting to know if he was blushing at the double meaning in Lisa’s statement or see the worry he knew that would be there.

His eyes searched out Ami’s and he grinned crookedly at her. She shook her head and sighed. “You could have been killed, you know. You ride that bike like a crazy man.”

He scowled at her. “I do not. I have complete control.”

“Of course you do. That’s why it’s lying in the road and you’re here being patched up.” She paused, matching his scowl with one of her own, “ _again._ ”

Megabyte felt warmth on his arm and then it began to tingle. Stubbornly, he kept his gaze locked on Ami. Refusing to watch as Adam healed whatever injury he had found. “The other time wasn’t my fault.” He flinched inwardly at the petulant sound of his voice. “The guy pulled out in front of me.”

Ami nodded sharply. “And how fast were you going?”

Megabyte focused, limiting his telepathy to just her. [Knock it off, Ami. I’m not in the mood for this shit.]

She shook her head. [No, I won’t. One of these days you are going to kill yourself if you’re not careful.] She swallowed and looked away. [I don’t want to hear you die.] Ami turned and walked over to where the helmet had landed in some bushes.

Ami's reaction brought home the full force of how near the miss had been to Megabyte, and his knees started to buckle. He let himself be lowered to sit on the grass, the earlier adrenaline rush gone taking his anger with it. An arm wrapped around his shoulders and a familiar perfume wafted to him. Swallowing, he turned to look at Jade, seeing the same anger and fear in her eyes that had been in Ami’s. He wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder. [I’m sorry,] he ‘pathed so everyone could hear him.

Jade stroked his hair and rubbed soothing circles on his back. [It’s alright,] she ‘pathed back [You’re safe and that’s what matters].

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kevin swallowed hard watching Jade consoling Megabyte. Kevin knew she loved him and her relationship with Megabyte was in the past, but at times like this it was hard to remember that. To remember that it had been years since they had dated and it was his arms that Jade had woken up in that morning. He reached out to caress her telepathically to reassure himself and bit back a sigh of relief at her return touch. She looked up and him and smiled. [I love you, Kevin]. Kevin felt his cheeks warming up, wondering if he had been that obvious.

His eyes flicked to the man standing beside him, taking in the way Adam’s lips were a thin line and his fists were clenching and unclenching. He reached out and touched Adam’s arm, pulling his attention away from the pair sitting on the grass. “Let's go move the bike.” Kevin gestured to the motorcycle that was still lying in the middle of the road. Adam’s eyes flickered from Kevin to Megabyte and back and he seemed to hesitate before nodding abruptly and brushing past Kevin.

Kevin followed him slowly, giving Adam the space he seemed to need. He watched as Adam bent to grab the handlebars of the bike to raise it up off the ground. He stooped over and picked up the foot peg that had broken off, and then straightened up. Adam was still standing in the middle of the road, his knuckles white from how tightly he was holding the handgrips. His face was pale under his usual tan and Kevin eyes followed the path of Adam’s gaze, flinching as he took in the amount of damage to the bike.

The side of the gas tank had been scraped clean of paint and the metal was deeply scarred in several places. The seat was in shreds. The leather was completely torn away along with the padding underneath it. The speedometer and RPM gauges were cracked and one of the handlebars was bent in so it was almost folded double on itself.

Kevin eased himself between Adam and the bike, placing his hands farther in on the handlebars. “We need to move this before someone comes down the road.”

Adam nodded, letting go of the bike and following silently behind Kevin as he pushed it onto the grass on the side of the road. Kevin used his foot to lower the kickstand, but when he lifted the bike up and back it tilted against him, the metal foot having been completely sheered off. He swallowed hard, trying to push away the images that brought to his mind. Carefully, he lowered the bike to the grass and turned to put a hand on Adam’s arm. “Are you alright?”

Adam nodded then slowly shook his head no. He opened then closed his mouth, unable to say what was on his mind. [He could have been killed,] he ‘pathed to Kevin. “He would have died never knowing…” Adam stopped, appearing to catch himself before he said anything incriminating.

“Never knowing what?” Kevin prompted.

Again Adam shook his head. His gaze went past where Lisa stood talking to Ami and locked onto Megabyte who was still wrapped in Jade’s arms.

“That you’re attracted to him?” Kevin’s voice dropped and softened. “That you care about him in more than a friendly way?”

“I…”

The sound of Darth Vader’s march cut through what Adam was about to say and he turned to see Megabyte pull his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket, which lay next to him on the grass. Megabyte spoke to the person on the other end for a minute then snapped the phone shut. Gone was the angry and shaken young man, to be replaced by a seasoned professional, confident and sure of himself.

“That was Dad. He’s got a situation in Geneva and he wants us in his office now. I’m going to ‘port my bike home then I’ll be there. Five, ten minutes tops.” He strode over to the wrecked cycle and crouched down beside it; grabbing the handlebars, he tilted them towards him before teleporting.

Adam let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. Pasting a smart-ass look on his face, he made a sweeping gesture. “Dream team away.”

His comment was met with groans and rolled eyes as one by one they focused and teleported to General Damon's office in London.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Nice of you to join us, son.” General Damon didn’t look up from the blueprints spread over his desk when Megabyte appeared in the far corner of his office.

“I had to take my bike home." Megabyte’s tone was clipped and abrupt as he tilted his head to look at the blueprints. " What're we looking at?” General Damon frowned at the bent head of his son and resisted the urge to reach out and smack Megabyte upside the head. His eyes flicked to Adam and they shared a commiserating look.

William ‘Bill’ Damon loved his son but there were days where he had to work to remind himself that Megabyte was a grown man and that he would not take kindly to being reprimanded in front of his friends like the rebellious teenager he often acted like. He had already gotten the run down of the accident and the condition of Megabyte’s motorcycle from the other Tomorrow People when he asked why Megabyte wasn't with them. Part of him was furious and scared, but the bigger part was relieved that it would be a while before the damn thing would be drivable again. He knew better than to offer to help pay for repairs and there was no way Megabyte would ask for help. He had inherited the Damon pride and taken the family need to be self reliant to a whole new level. While he was proud of Megabyte's self sufficiency, there was a part of him that wished his son would bend just a little bit once in a while.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, General Damon shifted from Dad to back to General. “We're looking at the blueprints of the British embassy in Geneva. We know they are holding the ambassador, his wife and their three children hostage but not much more than that. They have a staff, but no one seems to know how many people are actually working today.”

“What about the kidnappers? Do we know anything about them?” Kevin was already making notes on a legal pad as he listened, a frown furrowing his brow.

The General shook his head. “Very little. They are claiming to be a radical group out of Afghanistan. However, it's not one that anyone has ever heard of before.”

“And?” Adam prompted, reading the look on The General’s face.

“And,” The General continued, “Frankly, I have my doubts about their legitimacy. The political rhetoric sounds forced and they are asking for just money. Two hundred million in bearer bonds to be exact.”

Ami pursed her lips, thoughtful. “No demands for prisoners to be released?”

The General shook his head. “Not a word.”

“How about the removal of troops from Iraq?” Lisa interjected quietly.

“No. They just want the bonds to further their cause.”

“The cause of 'I don't want to work'.” Megabyte glowered at the blueprints. When he looked up suddenly, eyes flicking to Adam whose cheeks were stained a bright red, The General suspected that either Ami or Lisa had pathed him with a reminder that he was being thoughtless. Megabyte bumped Adam’s shoulder and grinned. “Going to school counts too, Newman. Not like you plan to live off that trust fund for the rest of your life.”

The General watched somewhat amused by the group dynamics as Lisa touched Adam's arm and smiled. Obviously saying something to him but what ever it was kept between them. Probably a reminder that Megabyte's mouth and his brain often worked independently of each other. Adam returned to studiously reading the blueprints though The General could tell he was watching Megabyte by the slight smile that crossed his face at Ami's light smack to the back of Megabyte's head and Megabyte's answering glare.

“The plan at this point is to teleport to the Geneva offices of World Ex. They will have a van ready to take us to the embassy. From there, Kevin can see what information he can gather for us. We’ll make final plans once we have a better idea of what we’re dealing with.” General Damon began to roll the blueprints as he spoke. When they were all together he slid them into a metal tube and secured the top.

Kevin nodded, gathering up his legal pad and pen to shove them into his ever-present satchel. “How much time do we have?”

“About two hours. After that they said they will start shooting hostages every 10 minutes starting with the ambassador’s fifteen month old daughter Giselle.”

Jade hissed and instinctively stepped closer to Kevin who wrapped a protective arm around her.

“That’s fucked up.” Megabyte’s frown had gone dangerously dark and his hands squeezed into fists.

For once The General did not reprimand his son for his language. Instead he nodded in agreement. “Yes, it is.” He stepped closer to Lisa as he spoke to allow her to teleport him.

He could see the determination in each of their eyes as one by one they disappeared in a shimmer of light.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kevin closed his eyes, lowering his shields and reaching out for the people in the embassy. There were whispers swirling through his mind as he swam through them trying to find the ones he needed to focus on.

_oh god_

_want my mommy_

_scared_

_I know I haven’t been very devout_

_I’m going to kill that fucking kid if someone does not shut him the fuck up!_

Kevin reached out for the last thought. Focusing on it and psi signature attached to it. Pushing past the surface thoughts as he searched for details of what was going on behind the barricaded doors of the embassy.

There was resistance but he slid past and around it, careful to not arouse the suspicions of the man he was trying to read. There was a part of him that always felt uncomfortable with the idea of reading someone without their knowledge or consent but when it was a matter of life or death, especially that of a child, his conscience was able to rationalize enough to allow him a minimum of sleepless nights. Being with Jade helped too. Having someone to talk to about his concerns when the guilt got to be too much. Someone to hold him and reassure him that he was still a good person who deserved to be loved. That he was using his powers to do something important and make a difference in the world.

Slowly and carefully he pulled back, raising his shields as he did. Blocking out the random thoughts pummeling his psyche. This was one of the downsides of reading people in a crisis situation. They tended to be thinking very loudly making it difficult to shut them out when his shields were lowered.

He opened his eyes slowly, forcing himself to orient on the wall of the van. Someone pressed a mug of tea into his hand and he took a drink of it, frowning at the sweetness. The added sugar was to give him a boost of energy to help replace what he had just expended and knowing he would need it before the day was over made the drink barely palatable. Under any other circumstances it would have been given a pass. He reached out to caress Jade telepathically as she rubbed his arm, finding comfort and centering himself on the familiar feel of her in his mind and her touch on his skin. He raised his eyes to meet hers and smiled softly. [I love you].

Her smile was equally soft in response. [I love you too. Now drink your tea]. Kevin laughed quietly then drained the rest of his cup, holding it up for her inspection.

Taking a deep breath, he set the cup down and pulled the legal pad and pencil out of his satchel, making notes on it as he spoke. “One of the staff, Esteban leaked the information to the kidnappers about how to get past security. The children are in their nursery with the nanny.” He paused to make a notation on the blueprints that had been spread out on the table before continuing. “The ambassador, his wife and one of the maids, Maria Renaldi, are in the main sitting room. There is one gentleman who has been injured, gunshot, who is being held in the bedroom next to the nursery.” More notations were made, indicating the whereabouts of all the hostages and their captors.

“Is that all the kidnapers?” Lisa spoke up, studying the blueprint and frowning.

Holding up a finger to indicate he had heard her and would respond in a moment Kevin circled one of the rooms on the blueprint. “There’s a bomb in the basement." He pointed to the circled room with the tip of his pencil. "They have no intention of letting anyone live even if the ransom is paid.”

“Bastards!” Ami’s furious expression was mirrored on everyone in the van.

“There are four kidnappers in total. Two in the sitting room, one standing guard outside the nursery, and one in the foyer keeping watch.”

General Damon nodded sharply. “This is the plan. Kevin, are you up to teleporting in and bringing someone out with you?”

Kevin nodded slowly. “I can do that though I’m not sure how much more I would be able to do beyond that."

“That will be plenty. Kevin, Ami, Lisa and Jade I want you to teleport into the nursery and retrieve the hostages. Adam, the injured man is yours. If you can teleport him without healing him then do it. Get in and teleport him out. Megabyte, get into the basement and take care of the bomb. If it’s something with software that you can disarm do so, if not you know the drill.”

Megabyte frowned, the tone of his voice making it clear he was trying not to roll his eyes. “‘Port it to the quarry and ditch it."

“Right, everyone clear on what they need to do?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The General looked around the van noting nods and the looks that passed between the young people. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride mixed with a touch of fear at what they were about to do, a sensation that accompanied every mission of this type no matter how many they completed successfully. Megabyte might be the only one of the group that was his child biologically, but he felt a sense of paternal attachment for all of them. He’d watched them grow from teens and pre-teens to the young adults they were now, following their triumphs and heartbreak with a growing sense of just how important it was for them to survive. Not only for him personally, but for the future of mankind. According to the ship they were the next stage in human evolution and General Damon believed that with every fiber of his being.

“What about the other people, the parents and the maid? We aren’t going to just leave them, are we?” The frown on Jade’s face made it clear that not rescuing everyone was not something she found acceptable.

“We’ll regroup once the first group is out and decide what to do from there.” The General’s voice softened. “I think they would agree that the safety of the children is the most important thing to consider here.” He turned to Kevin, signaling that for now the topic was finished. “Did you get visuals?” Kevin nodded and once again relaxed his shields allowing the others to access the pictures he had pulled from the man’s mind. General Damon waited, watching as eyes glazed over and then cleared to focus on him again. “Hostages need to be taken to the med evac unit at the local hospital to be checked out. They are aware of the situation and how you will be arriving." He passed a picture of the main staging room and each team member looked at it quickly, storing the image for later when they would need it to be able to teleport there. "Once you have done that come back here and we can decide what we do next.”

Adam stood and stepped to the center of the van, holding his hand out as he did so. Each member of the team added his or hers until The General’s rested lightly on top. “’Port.” Adam spoke the single word and they were gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kevin materialized in the nursery with Jade, Ami and Lisa right behind him. Quickly, he scanned the room. The three children were huddled together in the middle of what was probably the nanny’s bed, and the nanny, a Mrs. Hampstead, was planted firmly between them and the materializing Tomorrow People.

“I will not allow you to harm these children.” Her voice quavered but she held her ground firmly.

Lisa stepped in front of Kevin, a smile on her face and her voice soft and low. “We don’t want to hurt them or you. We’re here to help.”

“You’re American.” The word was an accusation and a statement rolled into one.

Lisa nodded in agreement. “Yes, I am. We need to get you and the children out of here. Quickly.”

“Who are you? Are you with MI-5?”

[MI-5]? Lisa ‘pathed Ami. [What's that?]

[British intelligence. Like your FBI]

Lisa shook her head. “No, nothing like that. I’m studying to be a teacher.”

Mrs. Hampstead’s face softened a little and she sat down heavily on the bed. “And you are really here to help us?” The hope in her voice was faint, but unmistakable.

“Yes, we're going to get you and the children out.”

Mrs. Hampstead half turned to face her charges, her hand brushing the bangs back on the oldest of the three. Lisa frowned when she saw the child’s face. Her skin was pale and sweat shimmered on her forehead despite the cool temperatures in the room. Her eyes were squeezed shut and the rise and fall of her chest was ragged and labored.

“What’s wrong with her?” Ami stepped forward, going to kneel beside the bed. She took the child’s small wrist in her hand, checking her pulse.

“She’s diabetic. Poor love.”

Ami frowned, “When did she have her last insulin injection?” She raised the girl’s eyelid and was slightly reassured when her pupils responded normally, if somewhat sluggishly, to the light.

“This morning. She was due for one two hours ago but they wouldn’t allow it.” Mrs. Hampstead shot a glance of pure malice at the nursery door.

[I’m not sure she can be teleported in this shape.] Ami bit her lip nervously as she studied the child on the bed. [We need to get the other little ones out of here].

[Agreed] Jade’s mental voice was crisp and sharp. [Kevin and Lisa can take them and I’ll wait here with you.]

Kevin frowned and shook his head. [If you stay, I stay.]

[Kevin, love.] Jade reached out to caress him telepathically. [You’re tired. You need to rest. Please. ] She smiled at him, her eyes soft, and her feelings for him showing unguarded on her face.

Kevin swallowed hard, knowing that he could not stand in the way of a request worded that way. [Okay, but I want you out of here as soon as you can.] Jade nodded and reached out to squeeze his hand then quickly kiss his cheek.

Lisa sat down next to Mrs. Hampstead and cleared her throat. “We want to have her looked at by a friend of ours before we move her. To make sure it will be safe. But if you'll let us we want to take the other two children out of here.”

Mrs. Hampstead nodded “I will allow that. But if anything happens to Giselle or Antonio while they are in your care I will hold you responsible.”

“They'll be safe. I promise you.” Lisa stood and bent over to pick up the little girl who stared at her, eyes wide, as she sucked on the two fingers in her mouth. The little boy whimpered and moved closer to Mrs. Hampstead when Kevin reached for him.

“It’s alright, love.” Mrs. Hampstead picked him up, cuddling him for a moment before handing to him to Kevin. The child’s chin began to quiver and he let out a wail of pure terror as Kevin and Lisa dematerialized.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Megabyte dropped into a crouch as he materialized into the basement. Easing himself behind a box he paused, breathing slow and shallow, listening for sounds of movement. Anything that said his arrival had alerted the kidnappers that he was there.

Minutes slowly ticked away and he let himself start to relax. When five minutes had passed and there was no sign that he had been heard or seen he pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and twisted the end, keeping it on the lowest setting possible, but still allowing him additional light for his search.

Mapping out a grid in his mind, he began a meticulous search for anything that could be concealing a bomb. A quick but thorough search of the cartons littering the room revealed nothing. A second sweep of the room determined that there was nothing out of the ordinary on or under the shelving that lined the walls or the benches that took up a good portion of the main area.

He was making a third circuit when a small light in the shadows caught his eye. Carefully, he edged his way over. Turning up the brightness of his flashlight, he grinned. It was butted up against the main support column going up into the house.  
Dropping back down into a crouch he eased his way forward, reaching out telepathically for anything that would give him an indication of whether the timer or mechanism was something that he could access via his ability to manipulate software. There was no response. He shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't computerized then, probably something more simplistic. He could handle that too. He hadn't earned the nickname 'bombs quad' in explosives training by being cute. Things that went boom had held a fascination for him for as long as he could remember.

He raised the flashlight, illuminating the top of the bomb. It looked simple enough, a block of C4 with a detonator and a couple of wires that led the control box. Brightening the flashlight to its full power he carefully inspected the set up again, looking for any extra trip wires. When he found no extras he carefully pulled the detonator from the explosive and set it aside, returning the block of C4 to its inert state, grinning cockily at the ease of his assignment.

When he reached down to pick it up his hand brushed cold metal on the left hand side. Frowning he carefully moved his hands back. He adjusted the angle of the flashlight but was unable to see more than a flash of red and blue wires. Swearing softly under his breath he shifted so he was looking at the side of C4. Sure enough there was another detonator. This one how ever was not tied to a remote trigger like the previous one.

Megabyte felt his stomach clench and ran a hand through his hair before blowing out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind then opened them and looked again. The result was still the same. The second detonator was attached to a motion sensitive mercury switch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Adam noticed about the room he teleported into was that it was dark. The heavy blinds were drawn and all the lights were off. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust before he felt comfortable trying to find his way around. Resting his hand on the wall he carefully followed it around to the windows. He eased the curtains open slightly to let in enough light to see then turned back to look for the injured man he would be teleporting out.

He spotted a lump lying on the double bed on the far side of the room and hurried over to stand next to it. Carefully, he tilted the man’s head, resting two fingers at the base of his neck to feel for a pulse. He frowned, unable to feel anything. He moved his fingers and added more pressure. Finally feeling a faint beat. Quickly, he did a visual check to determine the amount and extent of the injuries. Anything non-life threatening could be treated at the hospital. This was a simple matter of stabilize and transport.

The man was slender, slightly smaller than Adam and a few years younger. He was wearing a knit cap that came down low on his forehead and past his ears. Adam took hold of the edge of the cap moving it slowly so as to not disturb any damage that might be hidden underneath. His breath caught in his chest when the first strands of reddish blond hair fell across the unconscious man’s face, the slight curl at the end making his look even younger. For a moment he saw Megabyte lying there, bloodied and barely hanging onto life. As quickly as it appeared the flash was gone and Adam was again looking at a sweet faced stranger.

Swallowing down the bile threatening to rise, Adam forced his eyes away from the man's face and back to the injury assessment. There was a gunshot wound in the man's abdomen that was oozing blood, but it appeared to be the only injury. Adam placed his hands side by side over, but not quite touching, the wound and focused. His hands began to glow softly and tingle as healing passed from him into his patient.

His legs were shaking from the effort of holding him upright and his breath was coming in short painful gasps when he finally broke his concentration. He checked his patient and was gratified to find that the man's pulse was much stronger and his breathing easier. Gently, he eased his arms under the man’s legs and neck to pick him up off the bed. Cradling him close, Adam focused and teleported to the medical facility that was standing by to receive them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Shut that kid the fuck up or I’m going to come in there and do it for you!” The words were accompanied by a loud thump that was either a foot or a gun butt being applied to the solid wood door. The three women froze, eyes glued to the door. On the bed, Annette shifted, shivered, and curled tighter in on herself.

Another thud left the door shuddering from the impact. “You hear me? If I have to come in there someone is going to pay for it.”

Mrs. Hampstead’s eyes went to Lisa who reached out and squeezed the older woman's hand. “Tell him they’ll be quiet now,” she whispered to the frightened woman.

“They…” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat before starting again, stronger. “They will be quiet now" she called. She glared at the door, anger starting to over ride her fear. “They are frightened!”

Jade grabbed Mrs. Hampstead’s arm and shook her head to indicate antagonizing their captor was not a good idea. Right now appeasement was what was called for. If they were discovered she and Ami could probably get them out but the alarm would be raised and that would put Megabyte and Adam in danger. Not to mention the possibility that Annette would not survive being teleported. They'd lost one person early on that way and the whole team had sworn it would never happen again.

Again the door thudded. This time, as the sound died away, the metallic clacking of a weapon being cocked came clearly through the door. “This is your last warning. One more sound out of that brat and he'll never make another sound. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Mrs. Hampstead’s voice was meek and submissive even if the look on her face was anything but.

“Good girl. Keep behaving and your problems will all be over soon.”

Jade shot the door a look of pure malevolence before flipping it off. [Arsehole] she pathed to Ami. Ami buried her face on the bed, biting on the blanket to keep from bursting into hysterical giggles. Jade was not one to take being ordered about without a fight. She had a nightshirt with a mouse flipping off an eagle that was swooping down, talons outstretched. Underneath the picture in bold script were the words: _The last great act of defiance._

When Ami had herself back under control she reached out for Adam, sending him a telepathic message. [Adam? Where are you? We need some help here.]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Megabyte wiped his hands on his jeans, carefully sorting through his options. The remote detonator had been removed but even if he took it with him there was no guarantee they didn’t have another one. The explosive could still be triggered manually if someone was willing or unwitting enough to make the sacrifice.

He adjusted the flashlight and studied the mechanism closer, this time following the wires past the mercury switch to yet another remote control receiver. Swearing softly, he drew a line through 'leave it for the bomb squad' as one of his possible options.

“Alright, Damon” he whispered to himself, finding comfort in the sound of his own voice. “You’re such a bright guy. Think.” His subconscious remained stubbornly silent much to his displeasure. As it stood now he had two viable possibilities. He could teleport the bomb the way it was and pray that luck was on his side. Hopefully, he would be able to keep it steady enough to not trip the mercury switch until he could drop it and port the hell out. Or he could try porting with just the detonator. Separated from the C4 it would just give a mild shock if tripped. Nothing he couldn’t handle. He’d still have to port back and collect the C4 but that wouldn’t be a problem.

Squatting in the dark staring at a chunk of C4 that was big enough to level the embassy and send shock waves for several city blocks around, neither option looked particularly appealing. He stood and pulled a quarter from his jeans. Calling it in the air, he flipped the coin, losing it in the darkness over his head. A metallic tinkle reached his ears as it connected with something and ricocheted somewhere out of view. Okay, that was not a good omen at all.

[Kevin, Hey Kev?]

The response was almost immediate. [Megabyte? Are you okay?]

[Peachy. Give me a number between one and five]

[Three.]

[Thanks, Kev.] Megabyte smirked to himself. Yep, Kev was as predictable as always. Splitting the distance in half and choosing the middle number. Well, that meant he was going to be porting the whole thing. That was the option he was leaning towards anyway. He’d just needed a way to make himself make the decision. This way if it blew he’d be the only one caught in the blast. When he weighed his life against the others involved there really was no contest.

Once again he squatted down in front of the bomb and wiped his hands on his jeans before cautiously putting a hand on either side of the block of C4, making sure not to touch the mercury switch. In his mind he visualized the quarry, trying to determine the smoothest place to ‘port to. He grinned, remembering the small patch of grass that grew in one sheltered corner. Fixing it firmly in his mind he ignored the icy core of fear that had settled in his stomach. Live fast. Die young. Leave a good-looking corpse right? He had to snort at that. If he messed this up there’d be nothing left to bury. Regardless of what it had looked like before the state of his corpse would be nonexistent after. Shaking his head to clear it of that thought, he refocused on the spot he wanted to go and teleported.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Adam? Where are you? We need some help here.]

Adam opened his eyes and sat up on the gurney he was resting on. [Ami? What’s wrong?]

[I’ve got someone here who needs to be healed.]

Adam slid to the edge of the gurney then gingerly put his feet on the floor. He was a little shaky but they held him if he leaned against the bed for support. [I’m coming.] Carefully he focused on Ami and teleported to her.

He stumbled when he materialized and felt hands catch him. Smiling weakly at first Ami, then Jade, he let himself be helped to sit on the bed. “Sorry, I’m a bit tired.”

[A bit?] Jade raised an eyebrow and snorted. [You can’t even stand up.]

[Can it, Jade]. Adam turned to Mrs. Hampstead and smiled. “Who did you need me to heal?”

“Annette.” The older woman reached behind Adam to stroke the little girl’s hair.

Adam twisted and the look on his face softened. [What’s wrong with her?] he pathed to Ami.

[She’s diabetic and those wankers won’t let her have her insulin. She’s going on three hours past due.]

Adam took a deep breath and blew it out, pushing away the anger he was feeling. They were planning to blow the place up. What was the point in taking away insulin from the child? There was no need to make her suffer in the little time she was going to have. It wasn't like she was a threat to them that needed to be neutralized.

[Adam.] Ami’s mental voice had a tone of warning to it [She just needs to be healed enough to be ported.]

Adam gently rolled Annette onto her back and cringed when she whimpered. He smiled what he hoped was a gentle and reassuring smile at Mrs. Hampstead. “I won’t hurt her, I promise you.”

He received a nod and a pointed look in response. Turning back to Annette, he put his hands together, noting how they covered her whole abdomen, and focused. The familiar glow outlined his hands and he felt them start to tingle. From far away he felt a hand on his shoulder. He could feel himself starting to get light headed, but ignored it. He was determined to make sure this child never had to deal with this problem again. He heard Ami’s voice on the edge of his consciousness as everything went dark and he slumped over.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The air in the grassy corner of the quarry shimmered as Megabyte materialized holding the bomb. He took a couple of deep breaths then grinned. He’d managed to teleport it without tripping the mercury switch. Mentally he patted himself on the back, praising his leet teleporting skills. This was going to be a cakewalk after all. All he needed to do was let go of the thing, step back and teleport. The guys who handled disposal could take it from there.

Looking down, he realized the flaw in his plan. The floor of the quarry was not level like that of the basement and it dipped a good three inches below the bottom of the block of C4.

“Shit!” Megabyte could feel the muscles in his arms start to tremble with exertion as he tried to keep the explosive perfectly still and in the same position. Well, there was no way to get around it. He was going to have to set the damn thing off. He focused, planning to teleport out and leave the C4 behind him.

The grass was damp with morning dew and Megabyte felt his sneaker sliding as his hip gave out. After being slammed into a tree and then forced into a crouch repeatedly, it could no longer support his weight. His leg slid from under him and he went down on one knee, the bomb in his hands going askew as he did.

Without thinking he reached out desperately and teleported as a white glow ballooned in front of him and a wave of hot air slammed into him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrorists take over an embassy in Geneva and the Tomorrow People are called in to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ ] Denotes telepathy.

[Adam!] Ami caught the unconscious man as he slumped over, almost falling against Mrs. Hampstead. She and Jade shared a look that was part worry and part exasperation. 

“Is he going to be alright?” Mrs. Hampstead's concern was evident on her face. Her gaze flickered back and forth between Adam and her charge, taking in the ease with which Annette was now breathing, healthy coloring returning to her cheeks. 

Ami shifted, settling Adam so he was lying on the bed next to Annette. "He’ll be fine after he’s rested for a bit. Healing always takes it out of him. This is second one in a very short time.” [He’s tried to heal her you know that,] she added telepathically to Jade. Neither one of them was surprised; after all this was pretty much Adam's usual pattern when dealing with people he felt he was responsible for.

“Third.” Jade’s voice was low and her eyes were fixed at a point past Ami, a picture of Megabyte's torn jacket and scraped arm flashing from her mind to Ami's. 

“Right.” Ami reached out to catch Jade’s hand and squeeze it. [He’s fine, Jade. We need to take care of business now.] 

Jade nodded, pulling her attention back to the current situation. She squeezed Ami’s hand back before dropping it. Gone was the look of concern and in its place was a mask of calm. “Right then.” [I’m ‘pathing Lisa now. She can come help us with Adam.] 

Ami cringed. Lisa and Adam were no longer an item, having decided that they worked much better as friends, but they had stayed close and Lisa was not one to hold back when she thought Adam was doing his ‘I will save the world crap’. It had been a mutual decision and, unlike Jade and Megabyte one with no hard feeling on either side. Adam was good at that. His earlier break up with Lucy Allen had been the same way. In fact he had been an usher at Lucy's wedding not too long ago. 

[Lisa? Hey, Lisa,] Jade ‘pathed. [We need you back here. Got a passenger to ride.] 

[Adam?] Jade could almost hear Lisa’s eyes rolling as she replied.

[Got it in one.] Jade had to grin. [I want to be around when you give him a piece of your mind.] 

[I should just tape it for all the good it does.] Lisa materialized as her words were still echoing in Jade’s head. 

She smiled at Mrs. Hampstead, who startled and then relaxed when she recognized Lisa as one of the people she had spoken with earlier. “How are you holding up?” 

“I’m fine. How’re the children?” 

“Scared, but doing okay. One of the nurses has little ones of his own and managed to bribe Antonio to stop crying with cookies.” 

“Giselle?” 

Lisa’s grinned at Jade then leaned forward, her voice dropping. “I think she is trying to give Jade a run for her money. She’s taken to Kevin in a big way. They were curled up together on one of the gurneys napping when I left.” 

Jade shook her head and laughed. “He’s always had a soft spot for blondes.” 

There was a click as the key for the nursery door turned. The women exchanged looks and Mrs. Hampstead placed a hand protectively on Annette. 

[Ami, Annette. Jade, Mrs. Hampstead. I’ve got Adam] Lisa ‘pathed hurried instructions as she wrapped her arms around Adam. Ami scooped up Annette as Jade took Mrs. Hampstead’s hand. All three focused on the hospital, disappearing as the door opened to admit two armed gunmen. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Megabyte?] Kevin jerked awake, images of his friend floating face down in the ocean searing into his brain. [MEGABYTE?]. He waited for the count of ten for a response. When he received none, he reached out telepathically, searching for Megabyte’s unique psi signature. It was still there, but fading fast enough to scare the hell out of Kevin. 

[Megabyte’s in trouble] he pathed to the group as he locked onto the little bit of Megabyte he could still sense. Focusing, he teleported out as the others materialized. 

The water was cool on his sweat-chilled skin and he choked, materializing in the middle of choppy waves with his mouth open. He surfaced, gasping for air and shoved his water logged bangs out of his eyes. Off to his left Kevin spotted what looked like a piece of black driftwood bobbing on the surface. [MEGABYTE!] 

He struck out, swimming strongly, thankful for the boot camp they had all been put through before being allowed to join the Dream Team. General Damon had insisted that if they were going to form what was essentially a special ops team then they were damn well going to be trained for it. Some of the training was focused on honing their psychic abilities and others were more basic things like water safety and hand-to-hand combat. 

Megabyte was unconscious when Kevin reached him, drifting face down in a dead man's float. Grabbing a handful of red hair Kevin yanked Megabyte’s face out of the water. Kevin's limbs were weighed down with the weight of his sodden clothes and he felt them threatening to pull him under. Holding Megabyte’s head out of the water, Kevin used his other hand to pull off his shoes and then unbutton and unzip his heavy jeans. Struggling with the wet denim, he finally pried them off, not caring as they slowly sunk to the bottom, startling fish and other animals on their journey. 

[Kevin! Where are you?] Jade’s voice was frantic. [Are you alright?] 

Kevin rolled Megabyte onto his back, wrapping an arm around him in a lifesaving hold. Focusing on Jade, he tried to teleport but his earlier efforts coupled with the residual effects of the previous day’s migraine left him weak and more tired than he had been willing to admit in front of the rest of the team.

[I found Megabyte] He paused, feeling angry and useless. [I can’t teleport, Love. Too tired I think.] 

Almost immediately there was a flash and Ami and Jade appeared in the water next to him. Ami’s arm replaced Kevin’s as she took over responsibility for Megabyte. Kevin relaxed against Jade, letting her take control of the situation and him. Ami’s eyes glazed over as she used telekinesis to push the water of out Megabyte’s lungs and force him to breathe. When Megabyte began to cough and choke she turned him carefully on his side, holding his head out of the water and rubbed his back. He began to dry heave then throw up the water he had breathed in, his body clenching and shuddering with each wave of nausea. 

[Hospital,] Ami pathed then disappeared. 

[Right behind you.] Jade clutched Kevin tightly to her and teleported them. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

General Damon ran his hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “Okay so this is where we are. Objective A has been accomplished. The kids and the wounded guard are safe and the bomb is no longer an issue.” His eyes flicked to Megabyte, taking in the green tint to his son’s unusually pale face. His gaze flickered down to the scorched material of Megabyte’s t-shirt and he looked quickly away not wanting to think about how close he had come to losing his son for the second time that day.

Once again he had to fight the urge to pull the plug on the whole project. His eyes swept the room, studying its other occupants. Kevin was sharing a blanket with Jade. Exhaustion showed in the lines of his face making him look older than his nineteen years. Jade’s hand absently stroked up and down his arm in comforting and soothing motions. He would have to remember to make sure Kevin was reimbursed for his lost shoes and jeans. Fortunately as a precaution all identification was left with The General when they were working so Kevin's wallet, car keys and such were currently locked in the safe. 

Jade, the young woman he once thought would be his daughter in law, looked up and smiled at him. He had hoped she would be able to get through to Megabyte and break down the wall around his son’s emotions that no one else had ever been able to. She’d given it a good run, he had to admit that. He didn’t begrudge her decision to break off the relationship and he was glad she and Kevin were happy together. It certainly wasn't her fault that his son was such a hardheaded jackass when it came to letting people get close to him. 

Ami was also wrapped in a blanket though the tiredness she must be feeling was less visible in her posture. But then part of that was just Ami, eternally cheerful and optimistic to a fault. She was also the first one to call any of the rest of the team on being stupid or self-sacrificing, having enough maternal instinct to take on the whole continent of Europe, which, with this group, was a good thing. While she admitted to a brief crush on Kevin she was the only one to opt to not become romantically involved with another of the Tomorrow People.

Lisa was sitting on the couch that ran along one wall of the van, Adam’s head resting on her leg as she gently stroking his hair. If Ami was the mother of group, Lisa was the big sister. More practical and less likely to pull her punches or back down when something needed to be said. Of the group she appeared to be in the best condition having avoided the unexpected swim in the ocean. 

On the other hand Adam was definitely out of commission for at least twenty-four hours, probably forty-eight to be safe. His face was pale and drawn, and his eyes kept drifting closed despite his efforts to appear alert and attentive to the discussion. Healing was exhausting work and he had done quite a bit of it earlier in the day. The guard, Eric Dante, was going to recover with no ill effects and the doctors were unable to find anything wrong with Annette. Not only was she no longer in insulin shock, there was not a sign that she had ever been diabetic in the first place. The General had to smile to himself; that was pretty much Adam in a nutshell. Save the world and worry about the impact on Adam later. 

General Damon cleared his throat, trying to cover for his drifting thoughts. “The kidnappers are aware that they are down five hostages and are not happy to say the least. We’ve been given a new deadline. One hour and they are doubling the ransom. Any hint that we are trying something and they will shoot the hostages.” 

“Right, so what are we going to do then?” Ami pulled the blanket around herself as she spoke. 

“Well, the way I see it we’re down three team members so…” 

“Two” Megabyte raised his head from where it was resting on the back of the chair and opened his eyes. His gazed locked onto his father's and for a moment there an almost visible battle of wills as each struggled for control. 

“Three.” Lisa and Ami spoke simultaneously, neither woman in the mood to listen to any argument. Breaking the eye contact with his father, Megabyte tilted his head to glare at them. 

“As I was saying. We are down three team members…” The General pushed on quickly, refusing to meet Megabyte's eyes “…for teleporting.” Taking a deep breath he noticed Kevin and Megabyte relax minimally. “We have three hostages so it should be no problem for Ami, Lisa and Jade to bring them out.” 

The three women exchanged glances and nodded. “That should work.” Jade squeezed Kevin’s hand and smiled at him. 

“Kevin? Are you up doing some more digging for us? We are going to need to know where people are now that the situation has changed.” 

“Yes, sir. I should be able to do that. I..” He paused, his cheeks coloring in embarrassment. “I was just too tired to teleport. I feel better now.” 

General Damon reached out and squeezed the young man’s shoulder. “I know.” He mouthed 'thank you' causing Kevin’s blush to darken before turning to his son. 

“Megabyte?” 

“Yeah?” The single word spoke volumes with sullen and hostile tone. 

“According to the security plans, most of the house is wired to be on a computerized timer for lights and such. I’d like you to take a look at it. See what you can do to create a distraction.” 

“Yeah, I can do that.” Underneath the anger, The General could see the lines of exhaustion. He knew the sheer force of will that was keeping his son going. It never ceased to amaze him the personal strength that each member of the team exhibited on a regular basis. 

“What do you want me to do?” Adam opened his eyes and struggled to sit up.

“Stay here and rest.” 

The look on Adam’s face darkened into a scowl and his chin rose in stubborn determination. “I can…” 

Speaking quickly, he overrode the younger man. “We’ll have you on standby in case anyone is injured. Considering the situation that is definitely a risk. I need you ready to heal in case there is any type of complication.” 

Adam’s eyes held The General’s for a moment then he relaxed and laid back down. “Alright.” His posture and tone making it clear that it was his decision to do this and he was not conceding to being less than a full member of the team.

Blowing out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, General Damon smiled at his team. “All right, ladies and gentlemen. Time to get this show on the road.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kevin lowered his shields, looking for the psi signature he had connected with earlier in the day. He'd found that once he'd read someone it was easier to read him or her again because on an unconscious level they recognized him so the resistance was much less than the first time. He pushed past the fragments of thoughts around him, not finding the man he had read previously. Psi signatures were unique and once he was familiar with one it was a simple matter of honing in on it like recognizing a specific puppy while it was playing with its littermates. He frowned in frustration and lowered his shields even farther letting the surface thoughts that surrounded him float past as he searched. 

/Thank god/

/Hungry/

/Stupid idiot/ 

/One more hour and then we're rich./

Kevin latched onto the last one. It was not who he was looking for, but it would suffice. Slowly, he began to work his way deeper, past the surface thoughts, searching for information. Unfortunately, this person had strong natural shields and forward motion was slow going. He pushed again, feeling his energy leeching away with the effort. This guy was not giving at all. Taking a deep breath he continued to push while worming his way forward, looking for vulnerable points. 

He could feel his legs and arms starting to shake, a sure sign that he was close to his limit. At the very least he'd have the migraine from hell tomorrow. The palms of his hands began to tingle and feel warm. In the back of his mind he heard Lisa whispering 'mind merge'. He reached out for her and relaxed as she wrapped herself around him psychically allowing him to pull strength from her. He whispered back, 'thank you' before returning to his task. 

Drawing from Lisa's energy he was able to push his way past the man's shields with minimal effort. Quickly, he gathered the information they needed before working his way back out. With a final telepathic caress, he broke the connection. 

His head drooped against the back of the chair and he struggled to open his eyes again. His whole body felt as if it was shaking and he could feel the beginnings of a headache pounding insistently in the forefront of his brain. He felt Jade's familiar touch both physically and telepathically as she tilted his head forward, placing first a tablet then a glass of water at his lips. Part of him wanted to resist but he didn't have the strength. The medicine would help ease the intensity of the migraine but would leave him feeling groggy and somewhat disoriented for a day or two. He hated taking them because of the impact not only on his abilities, but also his day-to-day functioning. From what seemed liked miles away he could hear Lisa telling the group what information they had gathered as he drifted, then fell, into a drug induced sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lisa smiled at that final caress from Kevin as he pulled away from her. There was something strangely intimate about the act of mind merging. Not in a sexual sense but in being totally connected with another person. Being in someone else's mind and having complete access to all of who they are. Their fears, hopes and dreams all there for the taking if you chose to. Once again she was struck with how she could not do what Kevin did. Feeling the darkness in the man he was reading even filtered and muted through him was going to be enough to give her nightmares. 

She opened her eyes slowly and pulled her hands away from Kevin's, moving out of the way so Jade could tend to him. His face was pale and sweat drenched, showing the strain of the last few minutes. 

Rising, she moved back to her place on the couch where she could see everyone. When Adam's head was back on her leg she stroked his hair, smiling in response to the one her touch elicited. "There's only three of them now. The one that was guarding the nursery is dead. He was shot as a warning and an example of failure." She paused and pathed a narrow band to just Jade. [That was who Kevin read earlier]. Jade nodded slightly, acknowledging that she had heard, but not taking her focus away from Kevin. 

Lisa had to admit that while she was saddened by the loss of life, she would not change what she had done. She pushed away the guilt that said it was because of her the man was dead. No, she told herself firmly, it was his decision, not hers, to put himself at risk. He had threatened repeatedly to kill a small child and she had no doubt they were not empty threats. Her compassion was better spent on someone who deserved it. 

"All three are in the main room with the hostages. The hostages are tied to chairs but they are seated right next to each other. The kidnapers don't know about the bomb being removed yet." Her eyes flicked to Megabyte as she spoke, noting the pleased grin that passed fleetingly over his face. Underneath the satisfaction of a job well done she caught a hint of the adrenaline junkie Megabyte fully admitted to being. "They're still planning to blow up the embassy after the ransom is paid. Hoping to take out some of us in the process too." She shivered and quickly pulled herself together, focusing on the situation at hand. "They all have automatic weapons and will use them." She paused, considering options for a moment. "I think the best thing for us to do would be to teleport into the nursery and then decide what to do from there based on what we can see." 

General Damon nodded slowly in agreement. "That sounds like a workable plan. Megabyte, any luck with the computer system? Is it something that we can use as a distraction?" 

Megabyte looked up and grinned. "Yeah, who ever designed this set up should've just put a sign on it that said 'hack me'. They've got all the lights in the place on computerized switches." His eyes glazed over for a minute as he interfaced with the system, checking for vulnerabilities. He was breathing heavier and his face was flushed when he refocused on the room but the grin had turned into a smirk. "Lights, alarms and the computer in the front room are hooked into their network. Diversions R us ready and waiting." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Ami shifted restlessly, trying to settle the flak jacket she wore under her shirt more comfortably. It has heavy and slowed her movements down some, but The General would not be dissuaded and time was running out for the hostages. She suppressed a smile, noting that Jade and Lisa looked equally displeased. There was something to be said for the expression that misery loves company. 

Her eyes swept the interior of the van one last time. Both Adam and Kevin appeared to be sound asleep. Their chests rising and falling in a slow steady rhythm. Megabyte's eyes were closed and his head was tilted back, resting against the cushion of the chair. He appeared to be sleeping too, only the twitch of his fingers on the keyboard of the laptop that sat in front of him gave away the fact he was actually wide awake and focusing intently on what he was doing. She locked eyes with Lisa, then Jade, before focusing and teleporting into the nursery. 

The three of them crossed the room together and Lisa jiggled the doorknob. None of them were surprised the door was locked. They had all suspected it would be since it had been compromised. It only took Lisa a moment to manipulate the tumblers using telekinesis before the door clicked open. 

Ami and Jade moved closer as Lisa eased the door open from where she was crouched beside it. There was a sharp intake of breath and then Lisa's voice was in her head. [Oh, god. They shot him and left him lying in the hallway.] Ami swallowed hard as her stomach lurched. Instinctively, her hand found Lisa's shoulder and she squeezed, offering support. 

Lisa nodded then stood, opening the door and sliding out into the hallway. Jade followed and Ami went last, closing the door carefully behind her. Despite her efforts Ami's eyes were drawn to the man on the floor. She'd seen dead animals before as part of her training to become a vet and her part time work as Kevin's Aunt Ruth's assistant, but this was different. This was a human being. The once light carpet was stained dark coppery red from the pool of blood that surrounded him. There was a small blood encrusted crater in the center of his forehead where the bullet had entered. It looked way too small to have allowed the mass of blood to escape that stained the floor, but Ami knew if she was to lift him up there would probably be nothing left from where the bullet had exited the back of his head. His eyes were still open, staring lifelessly at a spot on the ceiling. Even though she was not a religious person she said a quick prayer before carefully stepping over the body to follow Lisa and Jade down the hall. 

[That was a warning.] Jade pathed the other two women, [They left him there in case we came back. The dark haired one with the moustache, Karl, did it.] Neither woman had to ask how Jade had acquired the information. She was post-cognitive, able to see the last few events that had occurred at any place she was. Her ability was limited to within a couple of hours but was still strong enough that, like Kevin, she had to keep her shields constantly in place to keep from being bombarded with information. There was a slight pause and she continued, her voice much softer. [They made the hostages watch. The guy is a sadistic bastard.] 

Ami felt the bile rising in her throat again and swallowed hard to keep from throwing up. There would be time enough for that later. Right now she needed to focus on getting the hostages safely out of this place. 

Hugging the wall, they worked their way down the hallway in single file. The hallway opened into a playroom that was littered with children's toys. Ami's eye was drawn to a soft doll and she felt a tug to pick it up and take it with her. Without thinking she did so, tucking it into the waistband of her leggings so it rested right below the bottom of the flak jacket. She knew better than to ignore those feelings or flashes of knowledge. She had been getting them since she broke out but, unlike Jade, she had no control over it. They came to her, a pull to do something or a picture that popped into her mind without warning or explanation.

Another hallway led out of the playroom and they followed it to the kitchen and through to a formal dining room. At the far end of the room was a swinging door that led into the sitting room. Crossing the room as quickly and as quietly as they could, they moved between the large table and the counters for serving that lined the walls. They huddled next to the swinging door. Pausing to catch their collective breath and decide what to do next. 

Ami gestured to the other women to stay where they were and eased her way over to the door, leaning on it just enough to let her peek through a tiny crack. From the angle she was at she could see the hostages. Each one was tied to a chair as Lisa had said. They were lined up against the wall on the far side of the room. The kidnappers were nowhere in sight and she shifted trying to see more without opening the door any farther. 

[Can you see anything?] Lisa sounded as nervous as Ami felt. 

[The hostages are right across the room. In front of the windows.] Ami projected what she was seeing to Lisa and Jade. [I can't see the kidnappers. I think they're on the other side of the room.] 

She shifted and eased the door open a bit more. [Yes, there they are.] Again, she projected a picture. This time it was of the three kidnappers. Two of them were lounging on the sofa, weapons across their laps. The third, Karl, Ami guessed from the look of him was leaning on the ornate desk that dominated a corner of the room. He was hyper alert, his eyes scanning everything at once. 

Ami froze when his gaze settled on the door, eyes narrowing as he did so. Casually, he pushed off from the desk. Heading straight for her. [Oh shit, he's heading this way. Run! Get out of sight now!] She heard Lisa and Jade scrambling for cover as she stood mesmerized, watching as Karl cocked his weapon and kept coming. [Megabyte!] She pathed loudly, too frightened to send the message just to him. [We need that distraction!]. She let go of the door and bolted for the kitchen, hearing the pop of shots and the crack of bullets splintering the wooden door right where she had been standing a moment before.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Megabyte's eyes opened at the sound of the women teleporting and he shifted, trying to get more comfortable in the chair. He kept part of himself connected with the network within the embassy, prepared to react if needed. The rest of his mind he let drift, thinking back over the events of the day. He was pissed as hell at himself for trashing his bike. God only knew how he was going to afford to get it fixed. He hadn't had the time to look her over properly but from what he'd seen she was going to require engine work as well as bodywork. Maybe Max would let him pick up some extra hours at the store. Sighing, he filed that idea away to explore later. 

He stretched, his head lolling to the side and eyes locked onto the man sleeping on the couch next to him. Adam. Fuck, he was no closer to knowing what the hell was going on there than he'd been when he climbed onto his bike earlier in the day. Taking advantage of the quiet moment he let his gaze drift slowly up and down his friend. There was no doubt he was attracted to Adam. The man was sex on two legs with his long lean body and charismatic charm. Then there was that smile, the one that melted the hearts of harridans and made young women weak in the knees. Topping the whole thing off with a mop of dark hair. The way it now lay across his face, soft as a whisper, made Megabyte want to reach over and brush it back out of the way. 

Megabyte shifted again, this time to ease the stiffness that had migrated from his back and shoulders to his groin. Yeah, he'd do him if Adam wanted to. That brought him back to where he'd started this morning. Was Adam interested? He'd dated Lucy and Lisa so he was into females, that much was clear. He was pretty sure that Adam and Lisa had been sleeping together. Not that he'd ever asked. The one time he'd even hinted at it, Adam'd told him flat out that it was none of his business. Which only served to confirm his guess to Megabyte. Why get defensive and pissy if it wasn't true? 

Though he'd never been with a guy, Megabyte had discovered guys the same time he'd discovered girls. There were a lot of things he was picky about when it came to a potential bed partner but gender was not one of them. The plumbing changed the mechanics and that was about it. 

Adam moved a bit in his sleep and sighed softly. He muttered something, his fingers twitching restlessly. Curious, Megabyte leaned closer trying to catch the words. Again, Adam muttered something he couldn't quite catch and he slumped in frustration. This time Adam's legs twitched and he rolled onto his side so his back was to Megabyte. Well so much for that - Megabyte thought, flopping back into the chair. His fingers tapped on the keyboard and he stared at the wall. God, he hated waiting. Dad always said he had the patience of a boiling teakettle. Some days he thought that might be a bit closer to the truth than he wanted to admit to. 

[Megabyte! We need that distraction!] Ami's voice sounded panicky and brought him back to the seriousness of the situation they were in, with a jerk. 

[What do you want me to do?] 

[Something. Anything. Please!] 

Focusing on the software he was interfaced with Megabyte made a quick decision. A push here, a pull there and it was done. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jade pressed back against the wall of the linen closet. Her heart was pounding loudly enough that she was sure that everyone could hear it. Footsteps sounded near her hiding place and she held her breath, biting her lip as they got louder and closer. Suddenly the door was jerked open and Karl was standing in the doorframe. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her out into the open. 

"What do we have here? A little mouse who thinks she is big enough to play with the rats?" 

"Let go of me, you arsehole." Jade struggled against the fingers in her hair, her foot lashing out to land solidly on Karl's shin. 

Karl grunted. Letting go of her he backhanded her solidly across the face. "You little bitch." Jade's head snapped around and back, smacking hard against the doorframe. She caught herself as the wave of pain and dizziness hit. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself and stood. She kicked out, connecting with his stomach and then his chin sending him sliding across the floor. "Your mum was slack in teaching you manners, arsehole." 

Barely conscious, Karl raised his weapon, pointed at her, and pulled the trigger. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

In the living room, Nicholas turned slightly, watching as Karl fired at the door then pushed his way through. He exchanged a look with Christophe and shook his head. Making a jerking gesture towards the dining room, he rolled his eyes. 

"Karl's hearing things. He's losing it." 

Christophe raised and then lowered his shoulders, making no effort to reply. He'd known Karl a long time and he was not the type to lose it under pressure. Nicholas, however, was an unknown in his world. He'd argued against bringing him on this job but Karl had wanted him along and that was that. 

Nicholas turned his head and sniffled loudly. "Do you smell something burning?" The smell of overheated electronics reached them at the same time the computer on the desk began to smoke, then burst into flames. The sound of the smoke alarms screaming out a warning drowned out the frightened screams of Maria and the ambassador's wife. 

The flames from the ruined computer spread to the desk, the papers stacked neatly on it serving as tinder. Smoke filled the room triggering the overhead sprinklers, which kicked in, soaking everything, right before the lights flickered, then went out. 

"Son of a bitch!" Nicholas grabbed his weapon and stood, slamming into the coffee table. 

The lights flickered again as the emergency generator kicked in. They were dimmer than usual and the smoke hanging in the air only served to heighten the effect. Christophe stood, pulling his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth. "I'm going to check on Karl. Make sure the hostages are still alive and bring them into the kitchen. We need to keep them breathing for a few more minutes"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jade froze as Karl lifted his gun and pointed it at her. 

[Jade! Down!] 

She threw herself on the ground, following Lisa's yelled instructions and covered her head, too scared to focus well enough to teleport. There was sound of a gun firing rapidly and then a solid thump of bullets hitting and embedding themselves in something. It followed by a yelp of pain and then silence. 

[It's alright now.] Ami's voice and the touch on Jade's shoulder made her look up. The heavy wooden butcher block that had covered the center island in the kitchen was now riddled with bullets and lying on the between her and the gunman. Karl was unconscious, his hand appeared broken from where the gun had been kicked from it none too gently. 

The sound of the smoke alarms ripped through the room followed almost immediately by the overhead sprinklers kicking in and drenching the surprised women. [That'd be Megabyte's diversion starting.] Lisa turned and walked quickly back out of the kitchen and back through the dining room. [We need to figure out what we are going to do.] 

Ami shivered; her clothes had barely begun to dry out from her dip in the ocean and now she was soaked again. [Remind me to thank him.] 

[I'll help you.] Jade's tone was the driest thing about her and she savagely suppressed a sneeze. [If I get sick from all this he's is going to owe me.] 

Lisa stopped half way across the dinning room and pointed to the smoke billowing around the door and through the bullet holes. [He's blown the computer and it's caught fire. Jade, you have the ambassador. Ami, you get his wife. I'll get the maid.] 

[Right] two voices echoed back at her. 

[Ami, show us again where they were.] 

Ami projected out to Lisa and Jade the images she had seen through the crack in the door as the lights flicked and then died. 

[Then again you might owe him. C'mon. Let's get this done.] 

The three women focused on the hostages and teleported, praying that the smoke and darkness would mask the sight and sound of their arrival. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicholas glared at Christophe's retreating back. Muttering under his breath about people who thought they were in charge and needed to be taken down a peg. Waving the smoke away from in front of his face, he crossed the room. As his eyes began to water, his muttering increased in volume and forcefulness. Through the haze he glimpsed three chairs and smiled smugly to himself. He slung his gun over his shoulder and rubbed his eyes trying to get some relief from the discomfort. Closing them in an attempt to ease the blurriness he forced them open again when he heard a sound that he did not recognize.

"What the fuck?" Gun in position he strode forward. The ambassador's wife was still there but the ambassador and Maria were gone. Next to a now empty chair knelt a dark skinned young woman in her early twenties. The ambassador's wife was in a state of obvious panic, writhing on her seat in an attempt to avoid the young woman's touch. 

"Get away from her!" Nicholas yelled, seeing his dreams of being a rich big shot disappearing before his eyes. The woman shook her head, said something to the bound woman, then grabbed the ambassador's wife by the arm firmly enough that she was not able to pull free. As Nicholas fired off his first volley of shots they shimmered, faded, and disappeared. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

[Megabyte, the hostages are clear. Tell your Dad that special ops can go in. There is one man unconscious in the kitchen and the other two are armed. One is in the living room and the other I don't know.] 

Megabyte let out the breath he was holding and grinned. [Got it. Everyone okay?] 

[Yeah] This time was voice was Lisa's. [Though Ami managed to get herself shot.] 

[Shit! Ami, you okay?] 

[She's fine.] Jade chimed in. [but I think the doll is going to need major surgery.] 

[She looks better than you do, Jade.] 

[You should see the other guy!] Jade's voice was smug and there was more than a hint of pride underlying it. 

"Everyone's out, Dad," he said as he leaned back in his chair. "Special ops can do their thing. One guy down in the kitchen, two more armed and roaming. Lisa said they'd already taken one out so there's a body in there somewhere too." 

General Damon nodded, keyed the radio in his hand, and was passing on the information even as Megabyte was speaking. "They've got it covered. How is everyone?" 

"Sounds like Jade got beat up some and they were making a joke about Ami getting shot." Megabyte shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure what was all about but I'm thinking she'll tell as soon as she gets the chance. You know none of them can resist bragging about crap." 

General Damon snorted. "I wonder where they learned that from, /Megabyte/." 

Megabyte smirked and put on his best innocent look. "Not me. Must've been Adam." 

"It wasn't me." Adam rolled over so he was facing Megabyte and The General. "I'm not the one who does a victory dance and yells 'take that, bitch' when I beat a game." 

Megabyte's smirk widened. "That's because you've never beaten a game, Newman. If you'd ever experienced winner's euphoria you'd be doing the same thing." He opened his mouth to say something more but was not able to contain the yawn that pushed its way through, followed quickly by several more. "Guess I'm gonna port home. Gonna fall asleep in the chair if I stay here much longer." He looked at his father and snapped a perfect salute. "Cleared to leave, sir?" 

"Yes, go get some rest." He swiped a hand in the direction of Megabyte's head, knowing his son would duck it. 

Adam took a deep breath; biting his lip nervously, he pathed his friend. [Hey, Megabyte. We need to get together and talk.] 

[Sure.] Megabyte yawned again and stood, stretching as he did so. [Path me when you've had some sleep.] Yawning again, he waved a hand dismissively before he shimmered and disappeared.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terrorists take over an embassy in Geneva and the Tomorrow People are called in to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ ] Denotes telepathy.

"So, whatcha reckon? Are they going to make it or not?" Ami looked pointedly at her watch then at the door. 

"They're only half an hour late, Ami." Lisa's voice held a hint of amusement. 

Ami double checked her watch and raised an eyebrow. "Forty five minutes." 

Jade laughed and took a drink of her tea. [Have you ever known Megabyte to pass up free food?] 

The air shimmered as Adam and Megabyte teleported into the room. Three days had passed since the hostage situation at the embassy and everyone was eager to get together and discuss the details of the mission. As usual they held their "debriefing" in the rec room of General Damon's house. There was pizza, breadsticks and because Ami insisted, a large garden salad. 

"Hey guys, did you miss me?" Megabyte grinned at the assembled team before grabbing a piece of pizza and taking a bite. 

"Yeah, but next time I'll aim lower." Kevin shot back without even looking up from the paper he was writing on. 

Lisa groaned and tossed a piece of pizza crust at this head. "Do you two have to do that /every/ time?" 

Kevin looked up and grinned. "Its bad luck to break with tradition." 

"Some traditions were meant to be broken!" Ami said rolling her eyes for emphasis. "And that one is begging for it." 

Megabyte plopped down on the couch next to Adam. With a grin he snagged a breadstick off Adam's plate and took a bite. Using the uneaten portion as if it was a magic wand he pointed it at Ami. "What's the spell to grow a sense of humor again?" 

She stuck her tongue out at him and continued to eat her salad. "I have a sense of humor. You just don't have any humor with sense." 

Jade groaned. "Bloody hell, Ami that was bad enough to be one of his." 

Lisa sat back in her seat, studying the new arrivals. With a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth she noted the way Megabyte was sitting with his leg touching Adam's and the way Adam couldn't seem to stop grinning. The hand that was not holding his plate, brushing against Megabyte's arm each time he moved. 

[So, was I right?] She pathed in a narrow band to Adam, already knowing the answer.

Adam turned his head, and smirked at her. [I don't kiss and tell.] 

Lisa suppressed a laugh and shook her head. [That would be answer enough. Congratulations. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Both of you.] 

[Me too. Thanks, Lisa. I appreciate everything.] 

[I know.] She winked at him and hid her smile at his blush behind a piece of pizza. 

Megabyte bumped Adam's shoulder, noticing the glazed look of his eyes. "Hey, Adam. Earth to Adam." 

"I'm sorry." Adam's blush darkened and he smiled crookedly at Kevin. "What were you saying?" 

"The little girl you healed." He paused and frowned, looking at the page in front of him. "Annette?" 

"Yeah?" Adam's face went blank, hiding his nervousness. "What about her?" 

"The docs checked her out and the diabetes is gone. They can't figure out how or why. But as far as they can tell it's like she never had it." 

Adam felt himself relax and he smiled happily. "That's great news." 

"Great, just what we need." Megabyte sighed dramatically. "That's just going to encourage him to be a stupor hero." 

Jade frowned. "/Super/ hero." 

"Nope." Megabyte chewed and swallowed the last of his breadstick. "The way he passes out, he's a stupor hero." Grinning at the moans and groans, he ducked behind Adam to avoid the flying breadsticks and pizza crusts.


End file.
